Nearly half of carers spend over a hundred hours a week caring for loved ones

Almost half of carers spend over a hundred hours a week caring for loved ones, with three-quarters of carers saying they don't have enough control over their daily lives.

The new figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre show how challenging and isolating it can be caring for a relative or friend.

Its ‘Personal Social Services Survey of Adult Carers in England, 2014-15’ reveals that four in 10 feel they are neglecting themselves or that sometimes they can't look after themselves well enough and nearly 47 per cent of carers don't have enough social contact with people, with 15 per cent having so little social contact that they feel socially isolated.

HSCIC statistician, Katharine Robbins said: “This survey helps lift the lid on the lives of the many thousands of people who care for another adult as part of their everyday life. It shows a wide range of experiences of carers known to local authorities.”

The findings from the survey of 57,400 carers do not surprise Heléna Herklots, chief executive of Carers UK, who said: “The results of this year's survey reflect what we know from families; that they are providing more care with less support and are finding it harder to look after their own health, maintain relationships with others and have a life of their own alongside caring.

“Carers save the economy £119bn every year in the unpaid care they provide, yet their own health and wellbeing is suffering. As the Treasury finalise the Spending Review, the results of the survey should be a wakeup call for national and local government that more funding is needed for support to back-up carers.

“With the new Care Act introducing welcome new rights for carers to receive services, the results of this survey only add to our concern that the ever tightening squeeze on local government finances will prevent the new rights becoming a reality for carers.”

She added: “Caring touches all our lives yet society and public services have yet to grasp how isolating looking after a loved one can be. Caring for a loved one can be hugely rewarding but without support to have a life outside of caring, it can also be incredibly lonely. Carers tell us that good quality care services make the difference to whether they are able to look after their own wellbeing. Without this support, families can find themselves at breaking point.”

The survey findings correspond with Carers UK's own research which shows that eight in 10 carers have felt lonely or socially isolated as a result of their caring role and three in four carers are worried about the impact of their caring role on their health.

The report can be viewed at: http://www.hscic.gov.uk/pubs/psscarersurvey1415